Aintree on the agenda for Shakem Up'Arry as Ben Pauling plots more big-race success for festival winner
Ben Pauling reports Cheltenham Festival winner Shakem Up'Arry in "incredible form" but says he is more likely to go for the Topham Chase than the Grand National at Aintree.
The ten-year-old provided owner Harry Redknapp and jockey Ben Jones with their first festival winners in the Plate Handicap Chase this month, while Pauling landed his fourth success at the iconic meeting.
The Gloucestershire-based trainer is focused on Shakem Up'Arry's next assignment, which is expected to be in the Topham on April 12 as he is too far down in the weights for the £1 million Aintree showpiece a day later, with the race reduced from 40 to 34 runners this year.
Pauling said: "He’ll go in one of them at Aintree because he’s made for those races over the fences. He’s 44th in the weights for the National and last year he would have been sitting pretty, but it seems unlikely he’ll go there."
Shakem Up'Arry is a best-priced 14-1 for the Topham and as big as 66-1 for the National.
He will head to Aintree on a hat-trick after his Cheltenham wins on New Year's Day and at the festival.
Pauling said: "He’s brilliant and he’s in absolutely incredible form. I never want to jump ship whenever I like a horse and I’ve always thought he could be a proper one.
"He’s now rated 149, and in my eyes that’s a very nice horse – he’s what I expected him to be. He’s got a great attitude and he jumps for fun."
Randox Topham Handicap Chase (Aintree, April 12)
SkyBet: 7 Crebilly, 8 In Excelsis Deo, 10 Shakem Up'Arry, 12 Bill Baxter, Heltenham, Quick Draw, Your Darling, 14 Life In The Park, Sail Away, The Goffer, 16 bar
Randox Grand National (Aintree, April 13)
Coral: 4 Corach Rambler, 10 I Am Maximus, Vanillier, 12 Panda Boy, 14 Mahler Mission, Meetingofthewaters, 16 Kitty's Light, Minella Indo, Noble Yeats, 20 bar
Read these next:
Monbeg Genius and Hewick among 17 horses scratched from this year's Grand National
Racing Post Members' Club: 50% off your first three months
Do you want £700+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.
Published on 30 March 2024inBritain
Last updated 13:15, 30 March 2024
- 'It could be a different story around a bend' - Richard Hannon plots Royal Ascot revenge for 2,000 Guineas second Rosallion
- 'Shishkin had his quirks which kept us on our feet and entertained us, but by and large his heart was in the right place'
- Sunday updates: Ramatuelle shares 1,000 Guineas favouritism with Fallen Angel as conditions quicken for second Classic
- Dry forecast means Newmarket ground set to ride marginally quicker on Sunday
- Newmarket: Seven Questions has all the answers after springing 33-1 shock in Palace House Stakes
- 'It could be a different story around a bend' - Richard Hannon plots Royal Ascot revenge for 2,000 Guineas second Rosallion
- 'Shishkin had his quirks which kept us on our feet and entertained us, but by and large his heart was in the right place'
- Sunday updates: Ramatuelle shares 1,000 Guineas favouritism with Fallen Angel as conditions quicken for second Classic
- Dry forecast means Newmarket ground set to ride marginally quicker on Sunday
- Newmarket: Seven Questions has all the answers after springing 33-1 shock in Palace House Stakes